Here are some of the best places to see tulips in the Capital.
Commissioners Park
Our main tulip display venue, Commissioners Park, is a show stopper with more than 100 different species of tulips. The Queen Juliana Gift Bed, which includes bulbs provided by the Netherlands, is one of 30 tulip beds that are present there. Additionally, it has a test area where our landscape designers evaluate fresh tulips prior to bulk planting them.
Along the Rideau Canal
The well-known Rideau Canal corridor is another must-see location in the spring. To admire the tulips and take in some breathtaking scenery, take a stroll or a ride along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway or the Rideau Canal Western Pathway. Additionally, this path connects Commissioners Park and downtown Ottawa, two excellent locations to view the tulips.
Downtown Ottawa
Despite being under construction, Parliament Hill still has a lot to offer visitors. For instance, Major’s Hill Park is among the best places to watch tulips blossoming in the spring. The “tulips of thanks bed,” honoring front-line employees, is also located there. Check out the displays at the National War Memorial and the planters along Confederation Boulevard for additional tulips.
Downtown Gatineau
Additionally, the Quebec side has stunning tulip displays. Plantations close to the Jacques-Cartier Park, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Alexandra Bridge are worth seeing. These locations not only have beautiful views of the river and Parliament Hill, but also have tulips. Furthermore, Major’s Hill Park is a short stroll away.
Ottawa’s tulips are blooming.
Witness Ottawa spring to life as tens of thousands of gorgeous tulips provide color to the city, signaling the end of the bitter winter. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because colorful tulips start to bloom all over the city. 60 different species, approximately 300,000 tulips, and 30 floral beds are available for viewing. Here are the greatest places to observe tulips in Ottawa, from the well-known locations to ones that may surprise you.
The Best Time To See The Tulips in Ottawa
For 2021, the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa will take place from May 14–24. They have already begun to appear throughout the city this year, so there are already several that you can observe.
The History of the the Canadian Tulip Festival
Why do we in Ottawa annually celebrate tulips? The Netherlands began sending tulips to Canada every year as a token of gratitude for ensuring the safety of the Dutch Royal family during World War II, and this is how the Canadian Tulip Festival got its start. Princess Juliana gave birth to Princess Margaret on January 19, 1943, while she was living in exile in Ottawa. Princess Juliana brought 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in 1945 after she had returned to the Netherlands to thank the city for serving as a refuge during the war and to acknowledge the contribution of Canadian troops to the liberation of the country. The tulip represents the long-standing relationship between Canada and the Netherlands.
Can we go to Ottawa’s tulip festival?
Ottawa hosts the Canadian Tulip Festival from May 13–23, 2022. Visit the Canadian Tulip Festival website for additional details.
If you go to Ottawa during the tulip festival, all you have to do is look at the tulips. There are so many locations where tulips are on show that taking in the tulip beds might take up a whole weekend. Each year, the National Capital Commission, Canada’s official gardener, does a fantastic job of decking the city out in tulips; you can find them everywhere.
Where do the tulips originate from in Ottawa?
Juliana, the Dutch Princess, and her family were compelled to leave the country when the Netherlands was invaded during World War II. Juliana embarked on a ship with her two young kids for Canada, an ally and safe haven away from the violence. In Ottawa, where the three resided throughout the war, they were welcomed with open arms. When the Princess’ third child, Margriet, was born at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa in 1943, the relationship between Canada and the Netherlands became even closer.
The Dutch people endured hardship, repression, and famine in the occupied Netherlands. Their ordeal ended in 1945 as the Allies advanced throughout the nation. The liberation of the Netherlands was a major accomplishment for which the Dutch still hold Canada in high regard.
After the war, the Dutch and Princess Juliana sent thousands of tulip bulbs to the Canadian capital to thank them. The Giving of Tulips evolved become an annual custom. Each year, Ottawa receives 10,000 bulbs from the Dutch Royal Family and the Dutch populace.
Two flower beds in Ottawa have The Gift planted in them. At the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital, one bed honors Princess Margriet’s birth. The Queen Juliana Gift Bed in Commissioners Park is the alternative. The tulips that were planted in these beds are in Julia’s favorite colors, pink and purple.
What part of Ontario has tulips?
The beginning of those lovely tree buds that presage blooming is the quintessential sign of spring in Ontario. And throughout the spring and summer, Ontario is home to an abundance of stunning flowering trees and plants that come to life and scream for attention. There are countless possibilities if you’re trying to figure out where to buy flowers in Ontario.
Canadian Tulip Festival
The Canadian Tulip Festival is without a doubt the most well-known flower festival in Ontario and the greatest location to view tulips. The Festival, which has been held in Ottawa every May since 1953, was created to honor the Dutch people’s goodwill. For further details on the festival’s history, visit the Canadian Tulip Festival. The current largest tulip festival in the world. You should include this 10-day festival in your list of things to do in Ontario because it features more than a million tulips.
The largest collection of tulips is at Commissioner’s Park, but you may also find them at Major’s Hill Park, Parliament Hill, and along the Rideau Canal. The Victoria Day long weekend festival has live music, food vendors, and fireworks in addition to strolling the pathway among the multicolored tulips. Not able to go to Holland? Visit the Tulip Festival in Ontario to transform your trip into a European vacation instead.
The Dominion Arboretum and Green Corners Farm are two additional locations in Ottawa where you can find flowers. The Dominion Arboretum, which houses a variety of flowers and plants, is Canada’s oldest arboretum. There are wisteria, magnolias, rhododendrons, cherry blossom trees, and more. Over 30,000 tulips may be found at Green Corners Farm, a wonderful family-run farm just outside of Ottawa. You have the option of picking your own tulips or exploring the fields.
Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens
The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens in Niagara Falls are among Ontario’s most stunning gardens. The Gardens, which cover almost 100 acres, have a butterfly conservatory, European-style gardens, the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, the Niagara River Recreation Trail, and it’s the ideal Ontario pit break.
Visitors have been mesmerized by these stunning gardens ever since 1936. You can find a seemingly endless variety of flowers and flowering plants at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, from rhododendrons to azaleas. There is a famous rose garden there as well. Over 2400 roses can be found throughout the garden! But there’s more! There are perennials galore, formal gardens, and herb and vegetable gardens.
Visit Queen Victoria Park and the Centennial Lilac Garden in Niagara Falls if you’re looking for additional flower-filled locations. Queen Victoria Park, which is best known for being the park next to the Niagara Falls, also has tulips, magnolia trees, and more than 500,000 daffodils in the spring. As you might have guessed, lilacs are grown at the Centennial Lilac Garden. The Lilac Garden, which is just to the north of the floral clock, has more than 1,200 plants in 200 different types.
Toronto
There are blooming trees and flowers nearby Toronto, so you don’t even need to leave the city! In Toronto, there is a superb selection of parks and gardens that are brimming with wonderful flowers and colorful blooms. There are a few excellent places to see cherry blossoms in Toronto, including the well-known High Park and Trinity Bellwoods Park. However, you can also locate isolated groups of them in different parts of the city. Osgoode Hall, Broadacres Park, and Centennial Park, which has more than 400 trees, are a few additional excellent choices.
Among the best spots in Toronto to see flowers are Edwards Gardens, Allan Gardens, and the Toronto Botanical Gardens. Visit Allan Gardens for a setting reminiscent of a fairy tale. One of Toronto’s hidden jewels is its almost 100-year-old conservatory. It has six greenhouses, including a cool temperate house, a palm house, a desert house, and three tropical ones. All of them are home to a wide variety of amazing flowers, including hibiscus, orchids, and more. Check out the rhododendrons in Edwards Gardens in the spring while they are blooming. Of course, the award-winning themed gardens of the Toronto Botanical Gardens are a must-see.
Centennial Park Conservatory in Etobicoke is another fantastic location in the GTA to observe flowers in bloom. Three greenhouses in the park are home to a variety of plants and flowers, including bromeliads, orchids, cacti, and lovely flowering trees. The best part is that parking and entry are both free!
Laura’s Farm Stand
There are several wonderful sunflower farms in Ontario. At Laura’s Farm Stand, one of my favorite sunflower fields is close by. Although it might not be the biggest in Ontario or the location of a ton of tacky photo ops, I adore it for its genuine roadside agricultural appeal. Additionally, it’s free! Just south of Thornton on Simcoe County Road 27, you can stop into her tiny parking area and freely explore the vast, towering field of sunflowers.
There is a huge, one-way roadway that winds through the large sunflowers and has a few charming spots. Consider buying some of Laura’s fantastic farm fresh fruit from her tiny farm stand at the conclusion of your stroll. Sunflower and other wildflower arrangements in pre-picked bouquets are also available, all for very reasonable pricing.
Terre Bleu Lavender Farm
Then there’s lavender, a fragrant flowering bush that draws a lot of people throughout the summer. Terre Bleu Lavender Farm is one of the best lavender farms in Ontario. Over 50,000 lavender plants are grown on the farm, which is in Milton, an hour’s drive west of Toronto. Terre Bleu is the largest lavender farm in Ontario, with an astounding number of plants dispersed across its 160 acres.
Add Terre Bleu to your summer travel itinerary if you’re looking for a taste of Europe in Ontario, like Provence right here in our region. A number of adorable art installations may be seen among the seemingly endless rows of purple flowers, making for adorable flower photographs. Additionally, there is a wonderful farm store, a hiking route, an essential oil distillery, and a Herb Bar where you can unwind with a tasty mocktail.
A sustainable and organic farm, Terre Bleu Lavender Farm grows lavender. Even though they are well-known for their lavender farm, you may also enjoy their sunflower fields after lavender season! This jewel of a farm is brimming with amazing things to do and see all summer long.
Sunnidale Park
Call me partial, but my hometown of Barrie, Ontario, is one of the best places to see flowers. A trip to Sunnidale Park is a must for flowers in Ontario and is regarded as one of the best things to do in Barrie. Over 1800 trees and plants, many of which are labeled with both their scientific and common names, can be found in Sunnidale Park’s 15 acres of land, along with winding walks, a dog park, and other features.
Sunnidale Park is a well-liked destination for people all year round, but in the spring and summer when everything is in flower, it really comes to life. You can find all the favorites here beginning in May. From tulip patches to a beautiful and fragrant Lilac Dell filled with a rainbow of colors. Additionally, there are several cherry blossom trees, magnolia trees, a rose garden, and a butterfly garden.
In addition to gorgeous flowers, Sunnidale Park is home to a section of The Great Trail, which runs the length of Canada. Barrie is the starting point of almost 20 kilometers of The Great Trail. While exploring the park in search of flowers, make sure to pay attention to the informational plaques describing the history of the area, from the Native Americans who once called this place home to what existed here before the park was created.
Where is the best festival for tulips?
The Dutchest place on Earth is Holland, Michigan. The city, which is on Lake Michigan and is about a 3-hour drive from Detroit, annually hosts one of the biggest and most well-known tulip festivals in the country. Five million blossoming tulips that were planted by the Parks and Recreation Department all throughout the city are blooming during the eight-day festival known as Tulip Time, which also includes parades, concerts, art installations, and traditional Dutch dance performances.
What To Eat
Enjoy traditional Dutch foods like saucijzenbroodjes, or Dutch pigs in a blanket, and buttery krakelingen, which are sweets filled with almond paste. Both are offered by the nearby DeBoer Bakery.
Pro Tip
The busiest times of the week are usually the weekends. If you intend to travel at that time, make sure to reserve your lodging well in advance. See this article for additional details and advice.
Enjoy Weeks of Color in Spring By Planting Different Types of Tulips
One of the most well-liked flower bulbs to plant in the fall is the tulip, which comes in a bewildering assortment of hues, forms, and sizes. How long do tulips last is one of the queries we get asked the most. Tulips as a whole aren’t known for their durability, but with advance planning, you can keep tulips blooming for a few weeks.
How Long Do Tulips Last in the Ground?
Early and mid-season tulip bulbs are different types of tulip bulbs. Early tulips typically bloom from March to April, while mid-season varieties may extend the flowering period deeper into spring. Bloom timings will vary depending on your area and the weather. Tulips may persist 1-2 weeks in chilly temperatures. It is preferable to dig out and preserve tulip bulbs before replanting them between September and December because they might not blossom the next season if left in the ground.
How Long Do Tulips Last When Stored?
Plant your tulip bulbs as soon as you can after buying them in the fall for the greatest results. If the weather doesn’t permit you to plant your tulips right away, keep the bulbs in a cool, dry spot or think about growing them in a pot. When the foliage has finished dying back, dig up the bulbs and keep them in a net or on a tray until you can transplant them in the fall to enjoy another season of blooming.
How Long Do Tulips Last in a Bouquet?
Either by themselves or in combination with other springtime flowers, tulips look stunning in a vase. They should last for about five days if you cut them as soon as the color just begins to appear; they will continue to open fully. Keep adding cold water to the vase as needed. Cut tulips will remain longer if they are kept out of the sun and in a cool environment. Springtime isn’t complete without tulips, whether they’re in a vase or a garden. You may create a vibrant spring display that lasts for several weeks by selecting your tulip bulbs in accordance with their blooming season.
Visit our tulip collection to learn more. There, you’ll find both well-known classics and unusual new kinds.